Optimize Calcium Reactor: OrionN's modification

[Vette67]

here is one

Looks like I purchased option B instead of option A. I’ll add that other one to my cart.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if the one I have changes anything. I imagine it can’t make things worse.

 

[Vette67]

Interesting. I went to test the DKH of my effluent today, and was shocked that it had dropped down to 8.0! So I scrambled to find where my CO2 leak was. I put soapy water around all of the new connections, and nothing. I looked closer at my CO2 line and saw that water had been forced back up it about 3 or 4 inches. So zero CO2 was feeding into my reactor. I put my bubble counter into a bucket of water and saw a small stream coming out of the output tube of the bubble counter. The plastic water line had split where it stretched over the bubble counter output connector. I replaced it with a new section of norprene tubing. Much more flexible. I’ll check again in a couple days to see what my effluent DKH is. But with that leak, I can’t come to any meaningful conclusion about whether or not this capillary tube improved efficiency. Too bad.

So who knows how long that has been leaking. Maybe that explains why I have a hard time getting my pH over 8.0, if I keep dumping raw CO2 into my basement sump room.

 

[OrionN]

I think it was a recent leak. It likely not leaking when you first measured it.

 

[pigmo]

When I look at my calcium reactor (Reef Octopus SRO 5000D), I don’t seem to notice, at least visually, undissolved CO2 in the form of small bubbles in the main chamber.

We have the same reactor and there are 1/4" bubbles leaving the top of the media every few seconds...

Minh, if you have a chance, can you describe how these little restrictors are attached? Glue? Or are they just stuffed into the tubing/friction fit?

 

[PeterC99]

Calcium reactor is a very efficient and cheap way to add Ca, Alkalinity and trace elements to our reef aquariums, especially those that require high level of Ca and Alkalinity input light large SPS and clam tanks. In order to supply this high level, one needs a huge Calcium reactor, or else a very efficient Calcium reactor. After thinking about this and messing around with my reactors for many years, I came up with a modification that will maximize the production of a Calcium reactor with ease.

In order to maximize the Calcium reactor, on must lower the pH of the reactor chamber to a minimal level. The problem with this is that all the Calcium reactors on the market today do not dissolve CO2 efficiently. My modification is very straight forward and involved minimal work and cost an insignificant amount of money. With my modification I was able to use a standard size Calcium reactor, single chamber 6 inches diameter, 18 inches high GEO reactor, to supply a very high demand 400+ gallons system. I am not even running my Calcium Reactor at it at maxima capacity.
Current Calcium reactor add CO2 with standard air tubing which result in large bubbles of CO2 added to the system, right before the circulation pump which is inefficient in dissolving the large CO2 bubbles. My modification involves adding the CO2 via a capillary tube (flow restrictor for RO system). If we add CO2 via capillary tubing to the main part of the circulation right before the pump, the CO2 will be add in a stream of very fine bubbles. The pump will not have any problem dissolves these bubbles into the solution and thus significantly lower the pH of the chamber with no excessCO2 that escapes as wasted CO2.

I modified my Geo Calcium reactor as below
Geo Ca reactor 6 inches diameter 18 inches high. Build in bubble counter removed. Plumbing rerouted a little and bubble counter added at regulator. I also used stainless wing nuts and stainless screws instead of the plastic thumb nuts that come with it.

Here are the relevant attachments. The PVC seen in the circulation part outside of the reactor chamber. Circulation here is top down. Take water from the top of the chamber and feed the circulation pump at the bottom and spray out to the bottom of the chamber. At the 4 way intersection the R side is where the CO2 input, there is a one way check valve so that salt water cannot reflux back and ruin the regulator. The L side is where the water intake pump in from the dosing pump to feed the Ca reactor. At the top of the Ca reactor is the output of the Ca reactor, flow to the high flow area in the sump.

I added the capillary tube just right after the check valve. I tape the tube at the position, but on outside so everyone can see where the capillary tube go. "A picture worth a thousand words" I think this is certainly true in this situation.

This is how the capillary tube would fit in standard RO tubing

Most if not all Ca reactors these day have build in bubble counter. My modification need to be add after the bubble counter. I modified my Geo Ca reactor by remove the build in Bubble counter and add an other bubble counter at the regulator.


With this modification, I can easily add this amount of CO2 to the Reactor without any problem

With this modification, I can easily supply all the requirement of a heavy SPS and huge clams. Prior to my tank crash due to Hurricane Harvey, I had multiple clams with the largest is a 28 inch shell Gigas and a large numbers of SPS in a 320 gal DT. I have no problem keeping up with Ca requirement with single chamber 6X18 Ca reactor. If you have problem with keeping up with Ca need, why don't you give this modification a try.

Happy reefing.

Are you still running this modification on your calcium reactor? Think of trying as I see my reactor is not very efficient with the CO2. I'm first trying better media in TLF but if that doesn't work, then I'm thinking of trying your solution.